【荆棘鸟】第十章 05

But he had come back to Meggie immediately it was over and saidnothing, only cast his eyes toward the ceiling in a way which lefther in no doubt that to him Miss Carmichael was a bore. And sheloved him for it; ever since the day the lady had interfered 1 with herpleasure at the Gilly Show, Meggie had disliked her. She had never forgotten the way Father Ralph had ignored the lady to lift a smallgirl over a puddle 2; now tonight Luke showed himself in those samecolors. Oh, bravo! Luke, you’re splendid!It was a very long way home, and very cold. Luke had cajoled apacket of sandwiches and a bottle of champagne 3 out of old AngusMacQueen, and when they were nearly two-thirds of the way homehe stopped the car. Heaters in cars were extremely rare in Australiathen as now, but the Rolls was equipped with a heater; that nightit was very welcome, for the frost lay two inches thick on theground. 
     “Oh, isn’t it nice to sit without a coat on a night like this?”Meggie smiled, taking the little silver collapsible cup of champagneLuke gave her, and biting into a ham sandwich. 
     “Yes, it is. You look so pretty tonight, Meghann.”What was it about the color of her eyes? Grey wasn’t normallya color he cared for, too anemic, but looking at her grey eyes hecould have sworn they held every color in the blue end of thespectrum, violet and indigo 4 and the sky on a rich clear day, deepmossy green, a hint of tawny 5 yellow. And they glowed like soft,half-opaque jewels, framed by those long curling lashes 6 whichglittered as if they had been dipped in gold. He reached out anddelicately brushed his finger along the lashes of one eye, then solemnlylooked down at its tip.            “Why, Luke! What’s the matter?” 
     “I couldn’t resist seeing for myself that you don’t have a pot ofgold powder on your dressing 7 table. Do you know you’re the onlygirl I’ve ever met with real gold on her eyelashes?” 
     “Oh!” She touched them herself, looked at her finger, laughed. 
     “So I have! It doesn’t come off at all.” The champagne was ticklingher nose and fizzing in her stomach; she felt wonderful. 
     “And real gold eyebrows 8 that have the same shape as a churchroof, and the most beautiful real gold hair  …I always expect it to be hard like metal, yet it’s soft and fine likea baby’s…. And skin you must use gold powder on, it shinesso…And the most beautiful mouth, just made for kissing…”.She sat staring at him with that tender pink mouth slightly open,the way it had been on their first meeting; he reached out and tookthe empty cup from her. 
     “I think you need a little more champagne,” he said, filling it. 
     “I must admit this is nice, to stop and give ourselves a little breakfrom the track. And thank you for thinking of asking Mr. MacQueenfor the sandwiches and wine.”The big Rolls engine ticked gently in the silence, warm airpouring almost soundlessly through the vents 9; two separate kindsof lulling 10 noise. Luke unknotted his tie and pulled it off, openedhis shirt collar. Their jackets were on the back seat, too warm forthe car.      “Oh, that feels good! I don’t know who invented ties and theninsisted a man was only properly dressed when he wore one, butif ever I meet him, I’ll strangle him with his own invention.”He turned abruptly 12, lowered his face to hers, and seemed to catchthe rounded curve of her lips exactly into his, like two pieces of ajigsaw puzzle; though he didn’t hold her or touch her elsewhereshe felt locked to him and let her head follow as he leaned back,drawing her forward onto his chest. His hands came up to claspher head, the better to work at that dizzying, amazingly responsivemouth, drain it. Sighing, he abandoned himself to feeling nothingelse, at home at last with those silky baby’s lips finally fitting hisown. Her arm slid around his neck, quivering fingers sank into hishair, the palm of her other hand coming to rest on the smoothbrown skin at the base of his throat. This time he didn’t hurry,though he had risen and hardened before giving her the secondcup of champagne, just from looking at her. Not releasing her head,he kissed her cheeks, her closed eyes, the curving bones of the orbits beneathher brows, came back to her cheeks because they were so satiny,came back to her mouth because its infantile shape drove him mad,had driven him mad since the day he first saw her.And there was her throat, the little hollow at its base, the skinof her shoulder so delicate and cool and dry…. Powerless to call ahalt, almost beside himself with fear lest she should call a halt, heremoved one hand from her head and plucked at the long row ofbuttons down the back of her dress, slid it off her obedient arms,then the straps 13 of her loose satin slip. Face buried between her neckand shoulder, he passed the tips of his fingers down her bare back,feeling her startled little shivers, the sudden hard points to herbreasts. He pushed his face lower in a blind, compulsive touch searchof one cold, cushioned surface, lips parted, pressing down,until they closed over taut 14 ruched flesh. His tongue lingered for adazed minute, then his hands clutched in agonized 15 pleasure on herback and he sucked, nipped, kissed, sucked…. The old eternal impulse,his particular preference, and it never failed. It was so good,good, good, goooooood! He did not cry out, only shuddered 16 for awrenching, drenching 17 moment, and swallowed in the depths of histhroat.Like a satiated nursling, he let the nipple pop out of his mouth,formed a kiss of boundless 18 love and gratitude 19 against the side ofher breast, and lay utterly 20 still except for the heaves of his breathing.He could feel her mouth in his hair, her hand down inside his shirt,and suddenly he seemed to recollect 21 himself, opened his eyes.Briskly he sat up, pulled her slip straps up her arms, then her dress,and fastened all the buttons deftly 22. 
     “You’d better marry me, Meghann,” he said, eyes soft andlaughing. 
     “I don’t think your brothers would approve one little bitof what we just did.” 
     “Yes, I think I’d better too,” she agreed, lids lowered, a delicateflush in her cheeks.        “Let’s tell them tomorrow morning.” 
     “Why not? The sooner the better.” 
     “Next Saturday I’ll drive you into Gilly. We’ll see FatherThomas—I suppose you’d like a church wedding—arrange for thebanns, and buy an engagement ring.” 
     “Thank you, Luke.”Well, that was that. She had committed herself, there could beno turning back. In a few weeks or however long it took to callbanns, she would marry Luke O’Neill. She would be…. Mrs. LukeO’Neill! How strange! Why did she say yes? Because he told meI must, he said I was to do it. But why? To remove him fromdanger? To protect himself, or me? Ralph de Bricassart, sometimesI think I hate you….The incident in the car had been startling and disturbing. Not abit like that first time. So many beautiful, terrifying sensations. Oh,the touch of his hands! That electrifying 23 tugging 24 at her breastsending vast widening rings clear through her! And he did it rightat the moment her conscience had reared its head, told the mindlessthing she seemed to have become that he was taking off her clothes,that she must scream, slap him, run away. No longer lulled 25 andhalf senseless from champagne, from warmth, from the discoverythat it was delicious to be kissed when it was done right, his firstgreat gulping 26 taking-in of her breast had transfixed her, stilledcommon sense, conscience and all thought of flight. Her shoulderscame up off his chest, her hips 27 seemed to subside 28 against him, herthighs and that unnamed region at their top rammed 29 by hissqueezing hands against a ridge 30 of his body hard as a rock, andshe had just wanted to stay like that for the rest of her days, shakento her soul and yawning empty, wanting…. Wanting what? Shedidn’t know. In the moment at which he had put her away fromhim she hadn’t wanted to go, could even have flown at him like asavage. But it had set the seal on her hardening resolve to marry Luke O’Neill. Not to mention that she was convinced he had doneto her the thing which made babies start. 
     No one was very surprised at the news, and no one dreamed ofobjecting. The only thing which did startle them was Meggie’sadamant refusal to write and tell Bishop 31 Ralph, her almost hystericalrejection of Bob’s idea that they invite Bishop Ralph toDrogheda and have a big house wedding. No, no, no! She hadscreamed it at them; Meggie who never raised her voice. Apparentlyshe was miffed that he had never come back to see them, maintainingthat her marriage was her own business, that if he didn’t havethe common decency 32 to come to Drogheda for no reason, she wasnot going to furnish him with an obligation he could not refuse. 
     So Fee promised not to say a word in her letters; she seemed notto care one way or the other, nor did she seem interested in Meggie’schoice of a husband. Keeping the books of a station as largeas Drogheda was a full-time 33 job. Fee’s records would have serveda historian with a perfect description of life on a sheep station, forthey didn’t simply consist of figures and ledgers 34. Every movementof every mob of sheep was rigidly 35 described, the changes of theseasons, the weather each day, even what Mrs. Smith served fordinner. 
     The entry in the log book for Sunday, July 22, 1934, said:Sky clear, no cloud, temperature at dawn 34 degrees. No Mass today.Bob in, Jack 11 out at Murrimbah with 2 stockmen, Hughie out at WestDam with 1 stockman, Beerbarrel droving 3-year wethers fromBudgin to Winnemurra. Temperature high at 3 o’clock, 85 degrees.Barometer 36 steady, 30.6 inches. Wind due west. Dinner menu cornedbeef, boiled potatoes, carrots and cabbage, then plum duff. MeghannCleary is to marry Mr. Luke O’Neill, stockman, on Saturday August25 at the Holy Cross Church, Gillanbone. Entered 9 o’clock evening,temperature 45 degrees, moon last quarter.  
 
Chapter 11
     Luke bought Meggie a diamond engagement ring, modest but quitepretty, its twin quarter-carat stones set in a pair of platinum 37 hearts.The banns were called for noon on Saturday, August 25th, in theHoly Cross Church. This would be followed by a family dinner atthe Hotel Imperial, to which Mrs. Smith, Minnie and Cat werenaturally invited, though Jims and Patsy had been left in Sydneyafter Meggie said firmly that she couldn’t see the point in bringingthem six hundred miles to witness a ceremony they didn’t reallyunderstand. She had received their letters of congratulations; Jims’slong, rambling 38 and childlike, Patsy’s consisting of three words,“Lots of luck.” They knew Luke, of course, having ridden theDrogheda paddocks with him during their vacations.Mrs. Smith was grieved at Meggie’s insistence 39 on as small an affairas possible; she had hoped to see the only girl married onDrogheda with flags flying and cymbals 40 clashing, days of celebration.But Meggie was so against a fuss she even refused to wearbridal regalia; she would be married in a day dress and an ordinaryhat, which could double afterwards as her traveling outfit 41.“Darling, I’ve decided 42 where to take you for our honeymoon,”Luke said, slipping into a chair opposite hers the Sunday after theyhad made their wedding plans. 
 

曲子一结束，他什么也没讲，只是把两眼往天花板上一瞟，使卡迈克尔小姐明白无误地觉得，对他来说，她不过是个令人厌烦的人物，随后便立即回到了梅吉的身边。这一手梅吉很喜欢。自从这位小姐在基里娱乐会上妨碍了她的愉快那天起，梅吉就讨厌她了。她永远忘不了拉尔夫神父抱起一个小女孩，跨过水坑，把这位小姐甩在一边时的那种神态，今天晚上卢克也摆出了同样的脸色。啊，妙啊！卢克，你真棒。！
　　回家的路又漫长又寒冷。卢克从老安格斯·麦克奎恩那里骗来了一包三明治和一瓶香槟。当他们走完了三分之二的路程时，他把汽车停了下来。那时和现在一样，澳大利亚的汽车里格少有安暖气的，可是这辆罗尔斯车里却有。那天夜里，这个暖气大受欢迎，因为地面上的霜花已经有两英寸厚了。
　　"哦，在夜里象这样不穿外套地坐着，不是很美吧？"梅吉微笑着接过了卢克递给她的那只斟满了香槟酒的银白色折叠杯，吃了一块火腿三明治。
　　"是呀，很美。今晚你显得真漂亮，梅格翰。"
　　她眼睛的颜色是什么样的呢？一般来说，他不喜欢那种灰色，太贫血了。但是，看着她那双灰色的眼睛，他敢发誓，在那蓝蓝的底色上有着各种各样的色彩：强烈的靛蓝，象晴天朗日的天空；有青苔般的深绿，还有一丝黄褐色。那对闪光的眼睛就象柔和、半透明的珠宝，周围是一圈长长的上翘的睫毛；那睫毛在闪着微光，好象在金色中浸过一般。他伸出手去，用手指轻轻地掠过她一只眼睛上的睫毛，然后一本正经地低头看着他的指尖。
　　"哟，卢克？怎么啦？"
　　"我禁不住想看看在你的梳妆台上是不是放着一罐金粉。你知道吗？你是我见到过的唯一的一个睫毛上实实在在发着金色的姑娘。"
　　"哦！"她碰了碰自己的睫毛，看着手指，笑了起来。"这么说，是真有啦！可它一点儿也不掉下来。"香槟酒呛得她鼻子发痒；胃里直往上冒气泡；她觉得快活极了。
　　"真正金色的睫毛，它的形状和教堂的顶一样，真正金色的绝美的头发……我总是希望它能象金属那样硬就好了，然而它却又柔软，又纤细，就象婴儿的头发……你一定在皮肤上涂了金粉，它是那样闪闪发光……而那美得无与伦比的嘴，是为了接吻才造就的……"
　　她坐在那里呆呆地望着他，那娇嫩的粉唇微微张开，就象他们头一次碰见时那样。他伸出手去，将她手中的空杯子拿了过来。
　　"我想，你还需要一点儿香槟吧。"他说着，将那杯子斟满。
　　"我得承认，这太美好了，停在这里，在路途上稍稍休息一下。感谢你想起向玫克奎思先生要了这些三明治和酒。"
　　罗尔斯的大引擎在一片静寂中轻轻地轰响着，温暖的空气几乎无声无息地从排凤孔送了进来，他俩只能听见这两种不同的、缓缓的声音。卢克解开领带，扯了下来，将衫衣的领口敞开，他们的短上衣放在后座上，汽车里太暖和了。
　　"啊，这样就觉得好多了！我不知道是谁发明的领带，然后一定让人们在穿正式服装时戴上一条。不过，假如我碰上他的话，我就用他的发明勒死他。"
　　他突然转过身去，把脸向她的脸低下去，似乎想用自己的嘴唇象片玩具拼板一样裹住她嘴唇的整个曲线；尽管他没有搂着她，或碰她身上的其他地方，但她觉得被他紧紧地吸引住了。在他向后靠去的时候，她的头也跟了过去，直到把头放到了他的胸膛上。他抬起双手捧住了她的头，这样就可以更方便地吻她那个惊讶地作出了反应的嘴，酣尝樱唇。他叹息了一声，忘情地沉湎于其中了。这孩子般的、柔软的嘴唇终于和他的嘴唇接在了一起；最后，他随便怎样吻都可以了。她的胳臂搂着他的脖颈。颤抖的手指插进了他的头发，另一只手的手掌放在他前颈下那光滑的棕色皮肤上，尽管在递给她第二杯香槟酒的时候他的情绪已经起来，并且下定了决心，但是这一次他没有着忙，只是望着她。他没有放开她的头，吻着她的面颊，吻着她那合上的眼睛，吻着她那眉毛下弯的眉额。然后，他又返回去吻她的面颊，因为那面颊光洁如玉，又返回去吻她的嘴，因为她那稚气的形状使他发狂，自从他头一次见到她的那天起，就使他如狂如痴了……
　　"你最好嫁给我，梅格翰，"他说道，眼睛中含着柔情和笑意。"我认为，你的哥哥根本不会同意咱们刚才干的那事的。"
　　"是的，我也认为我最好嫁给你。"她赞同道。她的嘴唇垂了下来，两颊现出了淡淡的红晕。
　　"咱们明天向他们讲明吧。"
　　"有什么不可以的呢？越快越好。"
　　"下个星期我开车带你到基里去。我们去见托马斯神父--我想，你是愿意在教堂举行婚礼的--安排一下结婚预告，再买一只订婚戒指。"
　　"谢谢你，卢克。
　　哦，事情就是这样的。她已经表了态，不呆能再挽回了。几个星期之内，或不管还要多长时间，只要在教堂里一公布结婚者的姓名以征求意见，她就将嫁给卢克·奥尼尔，她将要成为……卢克·奥尼尔太太了！多么陌生啊！她为什么要说同意呢？因为是他告诉我，我必须这样，他说过我应该这样做。可这是为什么！？使他脱离危险吗？为了保护他自己，或我吗？拉尔夫·德·布里克萨特啊。有时候，我觉得我恨你……
　　小汽车里的那一幕让人心惊肉跳，心绪纷乱。和上一次一点儿也不一样。有许多美好而又令人惊恐的感觉。哦，他那双手的触摸！
　　对于这桩新闻谁都没有感到十分意外，至于反对，连想都没想过。唯一让他们吃惊的是，梅吉斩钉截铁地拒绝把这事写信告诉拉尔夫主教。她几乎歇斯底里地拒绝了鲍勃认为他们应当邀请拉尔夫主教到德罗海达来，以及应当找个大房子举行婚礼的主意。不，不，不！她冲着他们大喊大叫，梅吉是个说话从来不提高嗓门的人呀。显然，她之所以发脾气，是因为她希望他永远不回来看他们；她的婚事是她自己的事。要是他毫无理由地到德罗海达来，因而失去了一般的礼貌的话，她就有责任不接待他，对此他是无话可说的。
　　于是，菲答应在她的信中只字不提此事。对事情应当这样办或是那样办，她似乎无所谓，对梅吉选择一个什么样的丈夫好象也没有兴趣。管理象德罗海达这样大的牧场占用了她的全部时间，菲的纪录就好象是一位能完完全全地描述出一个绵羊牧场生活的历史学家，因为这些纪录不仅仅是数字和分类帐。有关每一样羊移动的记述十分严格。季节的变化，每日的天气，甚至连史密斯太太每顿做的是什么饭，都记录了下来。1934年7月22日的日记记录中写着：晴，无云，清晨温度为34度。今日未做弥撒。鲍勃返回，杰克带两名牧工在莫琳巴，休吉带牧工一人在西坝，比尔巴瑞尔将三岁的羊从布金赶到温尼姆拉。3时，温度升高，为85度。气压计稳定，为30．6英寸，西风；食谱：脆小牛肉，水煮土豆，胡萝卜和白菜，及葡萄干布丁。梅格翰·克利里将于8月25日，星期六，在基兰博圣十字教堂与牧工卢克·奥尼尔先生结婚。晚9时，温度为45度，下弦月。
□ 作者——考琳·麦卡
第11章
　　卢克给梅吉买了一只钻石订婚戒指。这只戒指很朴素但十分漂亮，两颗四分之一克拉的钻石嵌在一对白金心形底座上。8月25日，正午，在圣十字教堂进行了结婚预告仪式。仪式一结束，在帝国饭店举行家宴。史密斯太太、明妮和凯特自然也应邀参加了这个宴会。而梅吉坚持认为，她看不出詹斯和帕西从600英里以外的地方赶来参加一个他们并不真正明白的仪式有什么意义，于是他们便被留在了悉尼。她已经收到了他们的贺信；詹斯的信很长，信笔写来，充满了孩子气，而帕西的信只写了"祝好运气"四个字。当然，他们认识卢克，他们在假期曾和他一起骑着马，奔驰在德罗海达的牧场之间。
　　对梅吉执意要把婚事的规模搞得尽力能小，使史密斯太太大为伤心，她本来希望在德罗海达唯一的姑娘结婚之时，能看到彩旗飞扬，锣鼓喧天，狂欢数日的场面。但是，梅吉甚至过份到连结婚礼服都不要穿的地步了；结婚时，她将穿一身日常的衣服，戴一顶普普通通的帽子，这些衣物以后可以兼做她旅行用的全副行头。
　　"亲爱的，带你到什么地方去度蜜月，我已经定下来了。"星期日那天，在他们商定了婚礼的计划之后，卢克滑坐到她对面的一把椅子上，说道。